Crispy Coconut Chicken with Cilantro Lime Jicama Rice

I think I have started each post this week with a food that I love (or have loved previously, as with potatoes). But I really do love coconut, which I have found in my years of baking, is a hit or miss. Often people love it or they hate it.

But I do a pretty good job of using different coconut products with turning people off. Because I bake with a lot of different coconut products: coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut sugar, coconut cream, and shredded or flaked unsweetened coconut. Usually the flaked and shredded are the ones I get the most feedback for, although I do with coconut flour sometimes. But I’ll confess I like the nutritional value of coconut flour more than almond flour, but it is tricky to work with. It can get chalky or dense. I have found it lends itself well towards cakes.

This last year I have done a decent amount of coating chicken in different flavors. I’ve made chicken tenders. Parmesan chicken. And my personal favorite, buffalo chicken strips.

So why not make a coconut chicken?

What pairs better with coconut than lime?

I’ve been wanting to play with making some jicama rice for awhile now. Why not now? Why not add some lime zest and juice? Maybe a little cilantro…..

Granted I ate this one solo, my husband is a trooper in my recipe experiments (I can’t tell you all the ways I am blessed to have such a man by my side), but there are certain things he doesn’t like. Coconut is one, he’s not a big fan. So I can respect that. Buffalo for him, coconut for me.

This was AWESOME. I loved the flavor combination. The crispiness of the coconut. It was pretty easy to make. And it was filling.

I will definitely be playing with this jicama rice more in the future as well!

Crispy Coconut Chicken with Cilantro Lime Jicama Rice

Crispy Coconut Chicken:

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into strips

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup almond flour

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 eggs

1/4 cup coconut milk

Cilantro Lime Jicama Rice:

1 jicama

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp lime zest

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Let’s Make it Happen:

For Chicken: Preheat oven to 400.

Whisk the eggs and coconut milk in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, use your hands to toss together the coconut, almond flour, sea salt, and pepper.

Dip chicken in egg mix. Knock excess off on the sides of the bowl. Transfer to the coconut bowl. Toss and coat completely. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn them over.

For Rice: For the rice, peel the jicama. Cut into chunks (they don’t have to be perfect). Pulse in a food processor, until it is fine like rice. Heat in a skillet with minced cilantro, lime juice and zest, and coconut oil. Just keep tossing it.

Plate the rice. Layer some chicken on the sides or on top. Eat up and enjoy!